"High Fidelity A Musical" Soundtrack Lyrics

"High Fidelity (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

Can a rom-com about taste snobbery sing in its own voice? The 2006 Broadway musical High Fidelity answers with a hooky, reference-savvy score by Tom Kitt (music) and Amanda Green (lyrics), and a book by David Lindsay-Abaire. The show condenses Nick Hornby’s novel into a record-store chamber piece where songs behave like mixtapes—confessions, boasts, apologies—spun by Rob, Laura, and the Championship Vinyl crew.

The cast album—High Fidelity (Original Broadway Cast Recording)—arrived May 15, 2007 on Ghostlight Records (18 tracks; ~65 minutes). It preserves the short-lived Broadway run with Will Chase (Rob), Jenn Colella (Laura), Jay Klaitz (Barry) and company, and doubles as a clean way to hear the score’s eclectic pastiche: Springsteen-sized anthems, Beastie Boys-ish patter, Indigo Girls–style harmonies, and blue-eyed soul—all original numbers, not jukebox drops.

Questions & Answers

Who created the musical?

Music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Amanda Green, book by David Lindsay-Abaire; based on Nick Hornby’s novel.

When did it open and close on Broadway?

Opened December 7, 2006 at the Imperial Theatre; closed December 17, 2006 after 18 previews and 14 performances.

Is the cast album complete?

Mostly. It includes 18 tracks recorded January 13, 2007; several stage numbers (“Terrible Things,” “Exit Sign,” “Ian’s Prayer,” “Saturday Night Girl,” a reprise) are omitted. One cut song (“Too Tired”) is added.

Who starred in the original Broadway cast?

Will Chase (Rob), Jenn Colella (Laura), Jay Klaitz (Barry), Christian Anderson (Dick), Jeb Brown (Ian), among others.

What’s distinctive about the score?

Each song nods to a different pop idiom (from Springsteen to Indigo Girls), yet all are new originals—no licensed hits.

Was it a hit?

No; it closed quickly. The album and later regional/U.K. revivals gave the material a second life.

Notes & Trivia

• Out-of-town tryout: Boston’s Colonial Theatre, October 2006.
• Broadway: Imperial Theatre. Director: Walter Bobbie.
• The songs emulate classic artists’ vocabularies, but no famous tracks are used; even the “Bruce Springsteen” moment is a parody cameo.
• The album artist credit is filed under Tom Kitt & Amanda Green on many services; label: Ghostlight Records.
• The musical’s plot hews closer to the novel than the 2000 film.

Genres & Themes

Anthemic heartland rock pastiche — big guitars and earnest choruses for Rob’s self-mythologizing (think Boss-scale swagger).

Alt-folk harmonies — Laura’s clarity and the “Top Five” chorus echo singer-songwriter intimacy; confession over strum.

Rap/rock patter & power-pop — the store guys’ snark, list-making, and “taste as weapon” energy.

Blue-eyed soul & R&B — apology numbers and reconciliation beats; groove signals growth.

Tracks & Scenes

Selections below follow the stage synopsis and published song list; exact staging varies by production.

“The Last Real Record Store”
Where it plays: Opening salvo inside Championship Vinyl; Rob, Barry, Dick and the “Pale Young Men” sketch the shop’s code.
Why it matters: Plants the central joke and love letter—gatekeeping as community.

“Desert Island Top 5 Break-Ups”
Where it plays: Rob’s meta-confession; the exes materialize as a chorus.
Why it matters: The book’s list device becomes a punchy ensemble number that keeps breaking the fourth wall.

“She Goes”
Where it plays: Liz narrates Laura’s exit while Rob flails.
Why it matters: Gossip-as-Greek-chorus; the groove mocks Rob’s self-pity.

“Ian’s Here”
Where it plays: Laura’s new partner arrives, smug and centered.
Why it matters: A silky self-help sway that makes the villain hilariously irresistible.

“Number Five with a Bullet”
Where it plays: Laura reframes the break-up from her side.
Why it matters: Flips perspective; the album captures Colella’s bite.

“Ready to Settle”
Where it plays: Marie LaSalle tempts Rob with low-stakes romance in a club set.
Why it matters: A wry, radio-ready earworm; character study disguised as a pop single.

“Nine Percent Chance”
Where it plays: Rob game-plans getting Laura back; the store crew does math on love.
Why it matters: Uptempo optimism with nerd-logic punchlines.

“I Slept with Someone (Who Slept with Lyle Lovett)”
Where it plays: Rob and Laura’s brutal honesty summit.
Why it matters: Comedy title, serious subtext—trust and tally sheets.

“Cryin’ in the Rain”
Where it plays: Rob spirals, cataloging regrets.
Why it matters: A stylized torch song that lets the chorus needle him.

“Conflict Resolution”
Where it plays: The guys attempt maturity—in harmony.
Why it matters: Band-as-friend-group; the groove sells growth.

“Goodbye and Good Luck”
Where it plays: A fantasy pep talk from “Bruce Springsteen.”
Why it matters: The book’s famous cameo becomes a swaggering send-off number.

“Laura, Laura”
Where it plays: Rob finally says the quiet part out loud.
Why it matters: The score’s emotional center—unironic, vulnerable.

“Turn the World Off (And Turn You On)”
Where it plays: Finale/reset inside the shop community.
Why it matters: Curtain-call lift; the cast album’s feel-good capstone.

Music–Story Links

• Lists → choruses: the Top-5 device becomes a literal vocal group that pressures and heckles Rob.
• Idol talk → action: the Boss pastiche flips fantasy into advice, pushing Rob toward actual adulthood.
• Taste → empathy: patter songs (the store guys) give way to ballads where Rob stops scoring points and starts listening.

How It Was Made

Creative team: Tom Kitt (music), Amanda Green (lyrics), David Lindsay-Abaire (book). The score consciously mimics different pop idioms—Springsteen, Beastie Boys, Indigo Girls, Talking Heads, Aretha, The Who—while remaining wholly original. After a Boston tryout, the show opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre with Will Chase and Jenn Colella, directed by Walter Bobbie. The album was recorded three weeks after closing; Ghostlight released it in 2007.

Reception & Quotes

Critical response was mixed to negative on Broadway; the album drew warmer notices later. Representative snapshots:

“One of Broadway’s all-time most forgettable musicals.” The New York Times (Ben Brantley)

“A modestly entertaining, rock-inflected romp.” New York Daily News (via New York Theatre Guide)

“Amanda Green’s lyrics… zing in the ear.” New York Post (Clive Barnes)

Post-Broadway, the piece found sturdier legs regionally and in U.K. revivals; fans often cite the cast album as the best way to “see” the show.

Additional Info

• Cast album timing: recorded January 13, 2007; release May 15, 2007 (Ghostlight).
• Omissions on the album: “Terrible Things,” “Exit Sign,” “Ian’s Prayer,” “Saturday Night Girl,” “Record Store” (reprise).
• Bonus: “Too Tired,” cut in rehearsals, appears only on the album.
• The Broadway run totaled 18 previews + 14 performances.
• Regional productions began 2008 (St. Louis), with later U.S./Australia/U.K. outings.

Technical Info

• Title: High Fidelity (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Year: 2007 (album); 2006 (Broadway production)
• Type: Cast recording (musical)
• Music/Lyrics/Book: Tom Kitt / Amanda Green / David Lindsay-Abaire
• Label: Ghostlight Records (℗ 2007)
• Broadway venue: Imperial Theatre, NYC
• Selected numbers: “Desert Island Top 5 Break-Ups,” “She Goes,” “Ian’s Here,” “Ready to Settle,” “Nine Percent Chance,” “I Slept with Someone…,” “Laura, Laura.”

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Playbill Vault; IBDB; Wikipedia (musical entry & numbers); Ghostlight Records; Apple Music; New York Theatre Guide; New York Post review; New Line Theatre article.

November, 10th 2025